A two-judge bench of the Karnataka High Court, comprising chief justice Cyriac Joseph and justice Ravi Malimath, has declined to intervene in a public interest litigation filed by a councillor from Chamarajangar and three others. The petitioners had sought a writ of mandamus for the completion of the 2005 joint survey for the demarcation of boundaries in the Hogenakal region.Chief justice Joseph said:

“They (the Karnataka government authorities) are sleeping over it. You have to wake them up first. It is not our duty to wake them up.

“This is a time to show statesmanship not brinkmanship.

“I agree the elections are near but, you are adding oil to fire, may be for cheap publicity. Today 10 buses will be burnt in Karnataka and tomorrow 11 will be burnt in TN, then 11 here and 12 there. Tamil channels are banned here, they banned Kannada channels. This is not a competition.”

“Politicians or citizens have to show restraint and feel like one nation, not inimical to each other. We expect responsible authorities to uphold the sense of oneness. If we admit the PIL here, somebody there will move the Madras High Court and it will be admitted.”

I am not happy with the judge’s arrogant, scolding tone, but I am relieved to hear that the court holds the various organizations streaming into the streets and damaging property or taking lives accountable for their behavior.